My revolution starts today.
I have been wanting one of the new smartphones for sometime. Since the introduction of the Apple phone a few years ago, I have been salivating at the chance to renew my Verizon contact and get one of these smart phones, hoping that one day Verizon and Apple do what everyone thinks they should do. So now for more than a year my contract has been up and I have been waiting to see how life shapes out and what new smartphones come out as the technology gets better. The culmination was a visit to Verizon today to finally get the phone that I always wanted.
For weeks I have been prepping my wife to allow me to get the more expensive contract from Verizon, because of course to have a Smartphone, one must also sign up for the 30.00 a month unlimited data package. I had told her how it would revolutionize my ministry with the students, giving me the ability to converse easier, respond faster, and generally be a better Pastor. It would be an extension of myself, the better me. All of this and more would be the new me, the me after today.
And finally I have my new phone, my revolution can start, but not the one you're thinking of. You see I didn't end up walking out of Verizon holding a smartphone. I instead walked out with the free phone, the regular phone, and this is why:
A few months back a couple that are goods friends of my wife and I from delaware, Ohio had read some book and were challenged by the words of the author. They in fact were so challenged they were sent on a journey by God that has now led them to purchase tickets to go to South Africa and see the mission work going on in that country. I have also heard from others the immensity that this book has brought upon their heart, so I too decided to read the book.
I purchased the book several months ago and placed in my book pile of books to read. This is my typical style of reading through books, but I must admit I was a little worried about this book because it seemed to challenge my friends whom I thought were already pretty good Christians. These friends gave time and money to all sorts of causes and lived on as little as possible in order to help as many as possible. How could a book challenge someone already doing so much? As someone who tries to give and do as much as I can to help those in need this scared me a little. Could this book challenge me more? So I have been putting it off for a while, that is until this past week.
Having just finished a couple books that I was reading through for the series in youth group I have been teaching on, I thought about which book I should focus on for myself. My own growth, my own pleasure and this particular book 'called out' to me. Ok not an actual physical call out, but I felt it was time to open the pages, and I haven't put it down since.
I can't get it out of my mind, I feel compelled to write about it (see my Facebook page over the last week), I feel compeled to talk about it, and I feel compeled to do something about it. It is this DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, that totally ruined my plans today.
As I walked from my car into the Verizon store today it hit me like a ton of bricks. Thirty dollars a month so that I can check my email on the phone (there are other really cool things too)? That adds up to $360.00 over the year, and $720.00 over two year! Is 720 dollars for internet integration worth it after I have read this book? How can I change the world in the next two years for $720.00 dollars?
1. Buy 3 goats and 3 sheep to help the poor become self reliant @ http://www.heifer.org/
2. Build a well for the thirsty @ http://www.icdinternational.org/
3. Sponser a child to eat, go to school and learn about Jesus @ http://www.compassion.com/
4. Plant a church in the C.A.R. @ http://www.gbim.org/
5. Purchase 17 orphan survival kits @ http://www.visiontrust.org/
Buy, build, sponser, plant and purchase all words of action. All words that require me to think outside of my own personal wants and desires causing a revolution within myself. How can I knowingly spend 30 a month for email on my phone when I can literally change the world instead? I can change the physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental status of so many people in the world simply by refusing to give in to what I am told I want by my consumeristic tendencies. A revolt.
My mind races.
At what point did I think this was my money? I was always taught to give ten percent to God and do what I want with the rest, but honestly, I no longer see this in the scriptures. Robin and I have always tithed the 10%, but is that really what the Bible, and more importantly God requires of us? This money was never mine to begin with, it has always been God's. The Bible says I am a steward, not an owner. This isn't my money to control, but it is mine to invest. How do I invest wisely?
Investment is more than putting money in some account, some stock, some fund and waiting, it is totally denying myself and following Christ, even to places that I don't want to go. Invest requires sacrifice of money, time, and self instead, focusing on the true things of God. It means revolting against what I've been taught: that it is mine to do with what I want.
A revolution of the mind.
REVOLUTION.
Mine starts today.
___________
Whatever you do, don't read, "A Hole in Our Gospel" by Richard Stearns.
